MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — West Virginia University, a one-time, male-only institution accepted its first 10 female students in 1889.
Two years later, Harriet Lyon became the first woman to earn her degree from the university.
This week, 125 years after Lyon’s milestone achievement, WVU Libraries host 3 days of presentations, workshops and distinguished guests to reflect on advancements for
women in higher education.
More than 4 decades after her arrival on campus, Lyon reflected on her experiences in an alumni publication.
“She said this, ‘Our life as coeds, a term always extremely distasteful to me in the early days, was very different from what I imagine the girls experience now. Some cordial and friendly treatment, I recall. But, a number of professors and men students treated us as if we were intruders or aliens.'”, shared Carroll Wilkinson, director of Strategic Library Initiatives for WVU Libraries.
Part of a March 15-17 symposium will include documentation online of accomplishments by Lyon and women like her.
Writers will be recruited to increase articles on West Virginia women past, present and future Wilkinson explained.
A WVU Libraries’ Wikipedian-in-Residence for Gender Equity will lead that effort.
“People will simply begin writing or editing articles that currently exist on Wikipedia to strengthen them or make them more detailed,” according to Wilkinson.
Dr. Marjorie Darrah, associate professor of mathematics at WVU and the first woman to receive a PhD. in mathematics at WVU, will reflect on her experiences and changes at the University over the last 25 years.
“She did work in several other institutions first and then she came back as a faculty member. Her PhD. was earned in 1995 which was recently really. She’s going to share and reflect on her experiences,” said Wilkinson.
Activities begin at 4 p.m. March 15.
On Wednesday, the symposium’s keynote speaker will deliver her remarks in an address entitled “Courage, Curiosity, and Conviction: Celebrating 125 Years of Educating Women at WVU.”